By Loyd McIntosh Photos by Jordan Wald
2025 was a banner year for high school football in the Over the Mountain Journal coverage area, as all three high schools amassed winning records and reached the AHSAA playoffs. Along the way, there were some standout individual performances. Here are the Over the Mountain Journal’s Players of the Year for 2025.
Homewood
In his first full season under center, senior quarterback Kaleb Carson emerged as the heartbeat of the Homewood offense. A dynamic dual threat, Carson consistently delivered when the Patriots needed a spark, making plays through the air and on the ground.
Through the regular season and the opening rounds of the AHSAA playoffs, Carson completed 122 of 177 passes for 2,265 yards, connecting on 68 percent of his throws for an average of 12.8 yards per completion and 26 touchdowns.
Carson was equally dangerous with his legs, rushing for 571 yards on 98 carries, nearly 10 yards per attempt, 11 touchdowns, and a pair of 100-yard performances in 2025.
Wide receiver Tomon Felton was Carson’s favorite target all season. The senior hauled in 57 catches for 1,051 yards—good for an astounding 95.5 yards per game and 18.4 yards per catch—and nine touchdowns.
Senior Joseph Luckianow had another tremendous year anchoring the Patriots’ defense. Through 11 games, Luckianow had 67 total tackles, 29 solo and 38 assists, and averaged 6.7 tackles per game. He also had a pair of sacks and one interception, capping a brilliant high school career.
Mountain Brook
Cayden Hofbauer has been the ultimate playmaker for Mountain Brook in 2025. Equal parts quarterback, running back and magician, Hofbauer was the sparkplug for the Spartans’ offense, moving things forward while adding a touch of dramatic flair when the moment calls for it.
Through 11 games—regular season and postseason—Hofbauer completed 105 of 190 passing attempts, for a completion percentage of 55 percent. He amassed 1,433 yards, averaging 13.6 yards per completion and 130 yards per game, and threw for 14 touchdowns.
Hofbauer was also the second leading rusher on the 2025 Spartans, running for 669 yards on 89 carries and five touchdowns. Of course, Hofbauer also pulled off one of the most dazzling plays in recent memory, converting a botched snap on a two-point conversion to defeat Homewood on September 26.
Other top performers on offense include senior running back Stuart Andrews with 780 yards on 170 carries and 10 touchdowns, senior wide receiver Sam Smith with 531 yards, 35 receptions, and six touchdowns, and offensive lineman Rocco Gray, who played almost every position up front for the Spartans this season.
Defensive standouts include senior linebacker Miller Lee, with 78 tackles—75 solo, three assisted—including nine in the Spartans’ first-round win over Mortimer Jordan—good for a 7.0 yard tackle-for-loss (TFL) ratio, and Boyd Cooper, with 50 total tackles on the season and a nine-yard TFL ratio.
Vestavia Hills
In 2025, the Vestavia Hills offense went wherever senior Charlie Taaffe took them. The senior quarterback was the catalyst for most of the Rebels’ offensive production, putting together an outstanding season despite their early exit in the AHSAA playoffs to Auburn in early November.
Through the air, Taaffe completed 116 of 184 passing attempts for a completion percentage of 62.1 percent. He compiled 1,608 yards, averaging 15.1 yards per attempt and 187.6 yards per game, and threw 12 touchdowns.
Additionally, Taaffe was the Rebels’ leading rusher, amassing 662 yards on 120 carries, averaging 5.5 yards per carry and 94.6 yards per game, and scoring 13 touchdowns.
Running back Carson Purdy was also a significant part of the Rebels’ offense, used in short-yardage situations, often taking the ball from a direct snap. He had 94 carries for 593 yards on the season and 16 touchdowns, two coming in the Rebels’ victory over Hoover in late October.
Senior linebacker Caleb Boylan anchored the Vestavia Hills defense, averaging a team-best 9.0 tackles and 1.0 sack per game. In the secondary, junior cornerback Daniel Richardson emerged as a consistent playmaker, snagging two interceptions along with 28 total tackles (18 solo).
